Parliamentary questions

Jamie Stone

587 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

22 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #5.2 million announced in May 2000 for safer routes to school schemes was allocated to each local authority and how many projects were created in each local authority area.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Allocations and number of projects created are given in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=623><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=5><P>Local Authority</TD><TD WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=5><P ALIGN="CENTER">Allocation…

21 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11479 by Henry McLeish on 23 November 2000, what additional information it can give about the plans for celebrating the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the Throne.

Answer · Henry McLeish: Her Majesty The Queen has now approved further details of the programme of celebrations during 2002, the focal point of which will be the Jubilee weekend period covering 1 to 4 June. As I announced on 23 November 2000, Monday 3 June will be an additional Bank…

20 Jun 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review its policy on hospital-acquired infection in the light of the outbreak of winter vomiting at Raigmore Hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We have introduced a series of measures to help the NHS deal with hospital-acquired infection. An appropriate time to review these will be the hospital-acquired infection convention at end June.

29 May 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Scottish Ambulance Service's joint working party looking at on-call working arrangements.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I understand that the Scottish Ambulance Service's Joint Working Party has made progress in reducing the amount of on-call working in many parts of Scotland. The Ambulance Service is fully aware, however, that wherever revised methods of working are introduce…

30 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to examine the options for restoring the livestock and transport ferry service from Invergordon to Kirkwall.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The present operator decided to withdraw from this freight shipping route with effect from 30 April. The Scottish Executive has recognised the contribution of the route for the export of livestock from Orkney. £200,000 was allocated to the route under the Tar…

18 Apr 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the Scottish Agricultural College.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: My department has regular discussions with the Scottish Agricultural College over its programmes of research, education and veterinary and advisory services supported by grant-in-aid which are therefore the subject of frequent review.

27 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to restore confidence in Scottish industries affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Answer · Alasdair Morrison: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14552.

21 Mar 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance has been issued to hoteliers and others involved in the tourist industry about the conduct of their guests when visiting rural areas.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The “Come Back Code” which we launched on 23 March sets out guidelines on how the public should behave in the countryside in order to minimise the risk of spreading foot-and-mouth disease. The code is widely available on websites and in tourist information of…

9 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether section 4(1)(g) of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will apply to the grounds of hotels which are currently kept exclusively for the use of hotel guests.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Hotels and their grounds will, in general, be excluded from the right of access by virtue of section 4(1)(a) and (b) of the draft Bill. Section 4(1)(g) is intended to apply to land where members of the public are only admitted on payment at present. It appear…

28 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider compensation payments for fishermen who tie up their boats in order to protect stocks of juvenile haddock.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I announced on 8 March a £27 million package of support for the industry including up to £25 million for decommissioning during the coming financial year, to bring whitefish capacity more closely into line with available fishing opportunities and help put the…

7 Feb 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authority snow ploughs travelling on trunk roads are permitted to use snow clearing equipment where the trunk road contractor has not cleared the road.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Responsibility for trunk road snow clearing lies with the new Operating Companies and the Scottish Executive. The use of snow clearing equipment on trunk roads by the local authorities would be acceptable only if agreed in advance by the new companies or the …

6 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made by it to the Ministry of Defence regarding any noise pollution caused by low flying aircraft exercises.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Executive is in regular contact with the Ministry of Defence on a range of issues, including noise pollution from aircraft.

1 Feb 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Highland and Islands Fire Board's decision to upgrade auxiliary fire-fighters to retained status will be reflected in its grant aided expenditure.

Answer · Iain Gray: Grant aided expenditure allocations for 2001-02 to 2003-04 were announced before the board took this decision.

24 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Halcrow or Pricewaterhouse Coopers had any involvement in the tendering exercise for the maintenance of trunk roads prior to 23 January 2001 and, if so, what the nature was of any such involvement.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Halcrow in association with PriceWaterhouseCoopers have a standing commission with the Scottish Executive to provide management and audit services in relation to the existing trunk road maintenance contracts and to assist with arrangements for replacement con…

24 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools 19 or more pupils achieved A passes in Higher Geography last year.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Pre-appeal results for the 2000 exams show that nine schools had 19 or more pupils achieve A passes in Higher Geography.

24 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many schools (a) 10 or more pupils and (b) 15 or more pupils achieved A passes in Higher History last year.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Pre-appeal results for the 2000 exams show that 19 schools had 10 or more pupils achieve A passes in Higher History. Of these, 7 schools had 15 or more pupils achieve A passes.

23 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to the possible return of the control of the common good fund to local community councils.

Answer · Peter Peacock: There are no plans to change the current arrangements.

11 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any economic assessment has been undertaken in respect of the proposed new ferry service between Gill's Bay and Orkney.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Any economic assessment of the proposed new ferry service between Gill's Bay and Orkney is primarily a commercial matter for the promoters of the project. The Scottish Executive has no information about whether an economic assessment has been undertaken.

11 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Gill's Bay Harbour Empowerment Order will be progressed, and if so when.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Consideration is currently being given to whether a Harbour Empowerment Order is required by the promoters of this project to construct a harbour facility at Gill's Bay.

10 Jan 2001 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to ScotRail on when the Inverness rail sleeper service will be re-instated.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular discussion on a wide range of operational issues with ScotRail. I understand that ScotRail will consider the possible reinstatement of sleeper services north of Edinburgh once it has received details of Railtrack's relevan…

4 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) total budget and (b) amount of any budget deficit was for each higher education institution in each year since 1995.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council is responsible for monitoring the financial health of the higher education institutions it funds in Scotland.

4 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what number and value of funding bids was made to the Scottish Office and to it in each year since 1995-96 for the repair of school buildings in (i) Scotland and (ii) each education authority area.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Repairs to school buildings may be funded by local authorities from either their revenue or capital expenditure resources. The arrangements for the annual local government finance settlement for revenue expenditure and the annual single allocations of consent…

4 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether statistics collected on the participation in and the outcomes from the New Deal are broken down by (a) ethnic origin and (b) gender.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland, it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing organisations.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Detailed statist…

4 Jan 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many 18 to 24-year-olds left the New Deal between 1 January and 31 December 1999, and of those (i) how many have then gone into sustained, unsubsidised employment and (ii) how many have an unknown destination, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

22 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children currently benefit from out of school care places and what the projected number is for next year.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Almost 13,900 children attended out-of-school care clubs in 1997. In addition, in the same year, over 7,300 children attended playschemes providing a range of activities during the school holidays. These are the latest available figures from the national surv…

21 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the real terms expenditure per pupil was in (i) 1979, (ii) 1990 and (iii) in each year since 1992, in (a) Scotland and (b) each education authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is given in the tables which cover the primary, secondary and special school sectors. Because of changes in funding arrangements over the years in question, information on nursery schools is not available in the form requested and i…

21 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value is of the latest estimates by schools of the sums needed for the repairs to school buildings, broken down by education authority.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The overall management of their school building stock is a matter for individual education authorities. Detailed consistent information of the kind requested is not available centrally. Education authorities generally have their own assessments of school buil…

21 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional free early years education places will be required to meet its target for free places in (a) Scotland and (b) each educational authority.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Our target is to provide a free, part-time pre-school education place for every three and four-year-old whose parents wish it by June 2002. We achieved this target for four-year-olds in February 1999. In the summer term of school year 1999-2000 some 68% of el…

21 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many three-year-olds had free early years education places providing five or more sessions of education per week in (i) 1979, (ii) 1990 and (iii) in each year from 1992 to 1999, in (a) Scotland and (b) each education authority.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Grant funded pre-school education places for three year old children were introduced in August 1999. The number of three-year-old children attending a pre-school education place for five or more sessions per week in school years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 in (a)…

18 Dec 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest position is on the electronic tracing system for cattle in Scotland.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Good progress has been made in the Joint Industry Executive Group set up to advise on this work. To date some £4 million has been committed to the project with more to come for the roll-out phase. Key elements of the new system will be in place by April 2000 …